Running with Humans
by TinyBlackBird
Summary: How did this human manage to impact my life so greatly? I glared steadily at him from across the room. Why did I let him tag along? He couldn't come to Paradise with me, he wasn't a wolf. I made this realization too late-I couldn't abandon him at this point. I cared for him too much-he was a friend. But what would I do with him when I got there?


Author's Note

Disclaimer: I do not own Wolf's Rain

Well, I've had these two characters on my mind for a while now. I'm starting this story off in a kind of confusing way maybe? But don't worry about that. :)  
I don't really have much to say about this story yet, other than that stuff will eventually be explained. Eventually.

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Preface  
With a Howl

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"Comon', now, you can make it, you can make it..." I muttered shakily, holding up most of Cale's weight as he leaned on me for support, one of his arms lazily resting across my shoulder. I struggled to keep him up; he was beginning to stumble over his own feet. I swallowed back a choked sob as I gazed down at his uncoordinated feet, forcing myself to look ahead. I whispered hushed, encouraging words to him to keep him going, to ensure him he'd be alright and that he'd make it...

The city was still so far off and it was freezing, snow beginning to fall lightly, gently. It brought me no calm, no reassurance like it normally would. Only a few moments later did I finally get a response. "Stop...please..." His voice was painfully weak and low.

"We can't, we're—we're almost there." I lied to him, determined to keep going, even though we weren't nearly as close as I'd like to be.

"Please, Anara, stop." I did as he said, staring at the distant city lights and hesitating for a moment. I gave a low sigh, feeling defeat right then more than ever. However, I quickly shook my head at the thought of defeat. I hadn't been defeated, and neither had Cale. He'd make it out of this...

Cale groaned slightly, breaking my trance and pulling my attention back to him. He began leaning forward, and I, unable to hold his dead weight for much longer, promptly lowered him slowly to the ground, letting him lay on his back.

"We have to keep going—we can't stay here for long. We need to make it to the city before you..." I nearly growled, catching myself before I mentioned death. "…get worse..." He let out a half-hearted chuckle, startling me. My brows furrowed and my mouth set in a firm frown. What was he laughing about, and at a time like this?

"So determined...as usual, Princess." He muttered, earning a confused and half panicked stare from me.

"What're you talking about, you Idiot?" I asked slowly, noticing how the vibes our nicknames for each other had changed. Usually, it was amusing, but now it made me swallow a lump in the back of my throat.

"You know." He muttered grimly. "You and I both know." My brows began to furrow again. No...no, he wasn't giving up on me! What happened to that rebellious, idiotic, cocky human I'd come to know? He would never give up, not even in a time like this, not even when his life was on the line. No matter how deep he was in the hole, he'd keep trying to get out, he wouldn't just lie there and quit...Not Cale, not Cale.

Logic soon set in and mixed in with my emotions. He was only a human. His injury—gods, his injury...How could a human recover from something like that without help? Professional help? He needed a doctor, a hospital, but it was too far away, I realized, too far away to ever reach at this point.

"I wish I were a wolf." Cale suddenly said. I looked down to him quickly at his voice, eyes scanning over his paling face while I registered what he'd said.

"W-what?"

"I wish I were a wolf…" He repeated. "Like you." I gritted my teeth. "Then...maybe I wouldn't have slowed you down so much...or gotten hurt so bad...'sides, tonight's a full moon, I'd heal right up, wouldn't I?" He asked, switching his gaze from straight up in the air where I was sure a full moon was hanging, to me.

I bit my lip, unclenching my jaw, and nodded slightly. My eyes began to sting, and I bit my lip harder, soon tasting the sweet metallic tang of blood flowing over my tongue. The taste only made my eyes sting more.

"Comon', Cale...We...we gotta get you to a hospital or someth-"

"Where?" He interrupted. "Where, Anara? We're...we're no where near a hospital." I opened my mouth to reply, but of course, no response came. Instead, I lowered my head, glaring at the ground through blurred eyes. "Don't..." He muttered quietly, pleadingly, his voice saddened. "Don't get upset over me..." I wanted to hit him for that one.

He was dying and he didn't want me to be upset? That idiot. I couldn't take it anymore, my eyes clenching shut to prevent tears from falling, my head lowering more, hair falling to shield my face from Cale's view.

I felt my hair moving slightly, a cold, rough hand gently resting on the side of my face. Cale's thumb slid across my cheek to clear one of the few tears that'd managed to escape. I blinked down at him, responding to his touch and opening myself up.

The tears were no longer prevented, and again, for the last time, I let Cale see my weaker side.

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Short, short Preface. :)


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